United Nations diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity because discussions have been private, said attempts to condemn the launches have been held up by China.
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The council in March adopted its toughest sanctions resolution to date, banning exports of coal, iron and other minerals from North Korea and imposing other restrictions, in particular in the banking sector. It was also one of the rare launches aimed towards Japan.
A Japanese defense official noted that the missile was found in Japan’s exclusive economic zone.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe strongly condemned the attack, describing it as a “grave threat” and “an outrageous act that can not be tolerated”. And the mid range test may impel China to seek its own anti-missile defense systems.
“Nothing should be done to exacerbate tension on the Korean Peninsula”, Liu said.
Experts differ over whether North Korea has developed a “miniaturised” nuclear warhead capable of being loaded on a missile.
There are almost 30,000 United States troops permanently stationed in South Korea.
A study published by the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in the United States concluded that North Korea has between six and eight nuclear warheads.
America condemned the latest missile tests.
While the global community has been unanimous in the condemnation of the North’s actions, top NK diplomat to the United States Han Son Ryol stated that the Communist regime’s launch of the ballistic missiles is an act of self-defense. In 1998, Pyongyang fired a Taepodong-1 missile that flew over Japanese territory and fell in its EEZ in the Pacific Ocean.
North Korea threatened a physical response to the deployment decision.
The North later said the launches were part of an exercise simulating preemptive strikes against South Korean ports and airfields used by the U.S. military.
Japan said the one missile had landed 250 kilometers (155 miles) off its northern coast and within the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone.
The United Nations Security Council is holding an emergency meeting to discuss Pyongyang’s launch of a ballistic missile that landed in Japanese waters for the first time.
North Korea launched two ballistic missiles early on Wednesday morning, the USA military confirmed, though neither posed a direct threat to the US or its allies.
North Korea fired a ballistic missile into the sea on Wednesday, South Korea’s military said, the fourth reported weapons launch the North has carried out in about two weeks.
Several other North Korean rockets have gone farther and even over Japan.
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On July 19, Pyongyang launched two medium-range Rodong missiles and one shorter-range Scud missile.
